Coordination and communication is to be ensured between all national and international partners involved in the rehabilitation phase

Photo: Courtesy Kai Weise

Bagan
The Chauk Earthquake of August 24, 2016 in Myanmar impacted 389 monuments in Bagan to varying degrees. After a three-month response period, a coordinated rehabilitation phase has begun. Coordination and communication is to be ensured between the numerous national and international partners involved in the rehabilitation phase. To facilitate this, a draft ‘Rehabilitation Check-List’ has been prepared.

The first phase focuses on preparation. The checklist includes documentation, assessment, research, inventory of salvaged materials and temporary interventions. Only once the preparations are completed to a satisfactory manner, with sufficient documentation, assessments and research, will work continue on to the next phase. The inventories of all salvaged materials from any specific monument or site will be prepared and where possible their original location determined to allow for reuse of materials where possible and appropriate. Various temporary interventions might still be required even after the initial assessments and response activities and these will be carried out in an appropriate manner considering the impact on long-term rehabilitation.

The second phase focuses on design and planning. The checklist includes structural interventions, conservation, material (requirement and supply), artisan (requirement and availability) and implementation planning. The design and planning of interventions will consider the structure as well as the ornamentation and focus on both technical as well as practical considerations. The reuse of salvaged materials will go hand in hand with the required skills in traditional building crafts or use of appropriate modern technology. The required human, material and financial resources will be ensured along with the phase-wise work schedule indicating critical paths as well as preparations for the implementation phase.

Photo: Courtesy Kai Weise

Once the design and planning have been agreed upon by the respective authorities, phase three implementation will begin. The checklist includes rituals, documentation of implementation, supervision and monitoring, handing over procedures as well as audit of quality and finances. This means the procedures must follow traditions while being monitored for compliance to rehabilitation guidelines. The projects will be handed over to the site managers along with an audit on quality of work as well as finances that will be made public as soon as it is finalised.

The ‘Rehabilitation Check-List’ will be used as part of any agreement with national and international partners to clarify the content and schedule of projects. Should a specific party agree to carry out only certain activities on the ‘Rehabilitation Check-List’, then the agreement will only be finalised once other partners are determined for the remaining activities. During the implementation process, the same ‘Rehabilitation Check-List’ will be used by the responsible national authorities to monitor progress and phase wise implementation. Each phase will be completed to a satisfactory degree before the next phase begins. However, there might be certain circumstances where an intervention cannot be designed due to lack of research requiring the process to return to activities in earlier phases until a satisfactory result is achieved. Phase three implementation will not begin without the national authorities agreeing to the design, interventions and overall implementation planning.

Photo: Courtesy Kai Weise

In Nepal, we have various initiatives going on responding to the damage caused to monuments and historic buildings by the 2015 Gorkha Earthquake. Each involved authority, national and international agency and expert has their own understanding of approach and procedure. There are additionally those who don’t seem to have any idea, such as numerous contractors given the task of reconstructing temples. The lack of a mutually agreed upon and enforced rehabilitation procedure and guideline is causing havoc in the post-disaster recovery of the culture sector. It is high time for the respective authorities to acknowledge these circumstances, reassess the situation and bring the culture sector rehabilitation back on track. Even if no one will be held accountable for loss of local heritage, there will be monitoring done for World Heritage.

The author is an architect and can be reached at paharnepal@hotmail.com

Elegant piano music fills the air as you step into the lobby of Sule Shangri-La, Yangon, at the heart of one of Southeast Asia’s most exciting cities. The hotel comprises 484 expansive guestrooms and suites, each characterised by elegant contemporary decor and
executive-style furnishings. Rooms come with a full array of amenities and facilities, spacious bathrooms and feature outstanding views of the city, the pagoda or the river.

The Strand Yangon

High ceilings and vast spaces are among the rare
luxuries in each of the 31 suites that will remind guests of times gone by in the central hotel in Yangon. Teakwood floors, hand carved wood frame beds, and ceiling fans round out the colonial charms, tastefully balanced by Burmese lacquer ware and antiquities in the bedroom and separate sitting area. Near floor to ceiling windows let in Yangon’s abundance of natural light during the day while the team of dedicated butlers attend to guests’ needs around the clock.

Belmond Governor’s Residence

Built in 1920, The Belmond Governor’s Residence is an imposing Burmese two-story mansion built as the official home of one of the governors from the southern states of the country. It is surrounded by a verdant lotus garden which is overlooked by the hotel’s many glorious verandas. The hotel emanates style and history in a delightful setting. The hotel offers 45 deluxe rooms and two junior suites, all luxuriously decorated with teak furniture, tropical cottons and silks and each has a large handmade, free-form bath.

Novotel Yangon Max

Novotel Yangon Max Hotel opened in December 2014 where you are assured of a warm welcome and flawless service. You will find areas for relaxing and places to work along with numerous other first class amenities. To relax and rejuvenation there is a state of the art fitness centre, the spa, a yoga room, swimming pool and rooftop tennis court. Guests staying on executive floor will enjoy additional amenities and access to the Premier Lounge.

]]>https://thehimalayantimes.com/myanmar/most-luxurious-hotels-in-yangon/feed/0168393The Garden City of the East-Yangonhttps://thehimalayantimes.com/myanmar/the-garden-city-of-the-east-yangon/
https://thehimalayantimes.com/myanmar/the-garden-city-of-the-east-yangon/#respondWed, 07 Oct 2015 19:30:01 +0000http://thehimalayantimes.com/?p=168164One of the best places to visit in Asia is Yangon, Myanmar’s largest city. Nature lovers will appreciate the city’s stunning lakes, shady parks and verdant tropical trees

A city that balances tradition, culture and modernity, making it a must-see for anyone who wants to experience a different side of Asia

Photo: thesmartlocal.com

One of the best places to visit in Asia is Yangon, Myanmar’s largest city. Nature lovers will appreciate the city’s stunning lakes, shady parks and verdant tropical trees. However, Yangon has more to offer than impressive scenery. This city is a melting pot — a diversity of cultures and communities in terms of people and religions.

Shopping

Bogyoke Aung San Market

This is the most famous and popular local market in Yangon. The large colonial building was built in 1926, and houses some 1,641 shops selling everything you might want including handicrafts, lacquer ware, wood and ivory carvings, tapestries, silverware, brassware, silk and cotton fabrics, clothing, hardware, food and so on.

Yuzana Plaza

A popular shopping destination for local residents, the plaza is something more like an old shopping mall than a traditional market. On the ground floor there are many wholesale outlets, selling packaged food, beverages, and even pets. Shops on the upper floors sell locally made products, fashion and household appliances.

Shwedagon Pagoda or Paya as it is known locally is a 100 metre high bell-shape structure that sits atop an octagonal base. Its complex structure is plated in gold and the upper dome is studded with more than 5,000 diamonds and precious gems. At the tip of the stupa, a single 76-carat diamond graces this magnificent structure. Shwedagon is dazzling by day but becomes truly magical by night when the whole place is lit up.

Karaweik Hall at Kandawgyi Lake

Yangon is suitably surrounded by lush tropical gardens and leafy trees, the product of the north easterly monsoon rains that continuously fall here six months of the year. If you love parks and need a break from the city, take a stroll among the luxurious tropical woods that surround the Royal Lake of Kandawgyi.

Hlawga Wildlife Park

There are some 70 kinds of animals and almost 100 species of birds in this park that covers about 1,650 acres and includes a lake. Popular activities here are bird watching, elephant rides, boating and fishing. There is also a museum with replicas of traditional Myanmar buildings, and a small zoo with a rock garden.

Photo: photoburst.net

Activities

Myaing Hay Wun Elephant Camp
The elephant is revered in Myanmar, being an animal of historical and cultural significance. Elephants also have economic significance because of their use in the timber industry. This elephant camp, established in 1986, is on a 10-acre site. Visitors can trek with the elephants and observe them being washed and fed by mahouts.

The Dallah Ferry

The small village of Dallah is on the other side of the Yangon River from Yangon City and the ferry ride across the river is a trip in itself. The ride is only about 15 minutes but the ferry takes on an atmosphere more like a local market than a form of transportation. It is very noisy with hawkers selling everything from fruit, maps, candy, hats, snacks, CDs, calendars and everything else one could possibly need for the journey.

Nightlife

ABC Country Pub
It is possible to enjoy live country-western music in Yangon. Tourists who have a taste for such genre can simply go to ABC Country Bar to listen to live performances of favourite country and western songs by the bar’s resident band.

Asia Plaza Disco

Asia Plaza Disco is another well-known night-life destination. While it is a discotheque, this favoured night spot has more to offer than just dancing. Aside from organising traditional dance shows, the people behind Asia Plaza also treat patrons to fashion shows, wherein beautiful models showcase one-of-a-kind collections. People can expect to see haute couture as well.